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Re: MPlayer

On Tue, Jul 20, 2004 at 09:21:40AM +0200, Sam Hocevar wrote:
> On Tue, Jul 20, 2004, Carlos Laviola wrote:
> 
> > As mentioned before in the thread, mplayer can't be included in Debian
> > because large portions of code it relies upon, even if they're
> > released under a free license(http://ffmpeg.sf.net) are based on, or
> > similar to, patented algorithms, which makes it a problem for us. It's
> > the same thing that keeps LAME out of Debian, as far as I know.
> 
>    A patent is not the end of the world; Debian only refrains from
> distributing patented software if the patent is actually actively
> enforced (such as the MP3 encoding patents in the LAME case). IMHO
> ffmpeg is not really troublesome, because it does not include MP3
> encoding or AAC encoding/decoding functions.

Given what's going on in the world: kids getting sued on Napster, and 
projectionists wearing night vision goggles, MPlayer just doesn't pass 
the "smell test."  Right now no one notices it, but it will get totally 
smacked around like a redheaded stepchild as soon as they do.
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